Why did Jesus choose married men if he wanted priests to be celibate?

[Romans5_1]

Why did Jesus choose Peter, a married man, if he wanted his apostles to be celibate?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Priestly celibacy is a spiritual discipline required for Latin-rite priests by the Church that Jesus founded to teach, govern, and sanctifty the family of God in his name. His choice of a married man to be the head of the apostles does not mean that he did not want his Church to require priestly celibacy. That said, at one point Peter implied that Jesus had required his apostles to give up the comforts of family in order to become his apostles. In reply Jesus stated that they would be richly rewarded for having done so:

Then Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:27-29).

Recommended reading:

Celibacy and the Priesthood